When it comes to going green motorists are looking for a carrot and not a stick according to new research.

A car insurance comparison website has found that 21million drivers would consider converting to a green car (a low emission vehicle) if their prices were more competitive and the Government offered incentives for doing so.

According to the survey, 65 per cent of motorists would convert to environmentally friendly driving if the green cars were competitively priced compared to conventional vehicles. Indeed savings were the key for most drivers with 62 per cent saying reduced road tax could prompt them to make the switch and 36 per cent pointing to cheaper parking fees as a potential motivator.

It seems therefore that drivers are motivated more by incentives than the financial repercussions of not owning a green car, such as the increasingly high taxation of fuel at Britain’s petrol stations - only 25 per cent said they would consider a green car because of fuel price increases.

The good news is that many of these incentives are already in place. Green cars already enjoy reduced road tax with those with zero emissions, such as electric cars actually being exempt from taxation altogether. There are also further benefits in place, such as no congestion charges in the London area.

Insurers are calling on the Government to add car insurance savings to the list of reasons to move. Consumers currently pay around £50 more to insure a green car, such as a hybrid car, due to the higher cost of repairs. However, if the Government scrapped insurance premium tax for green cars these savings could be passed on to the consumer making green cars equally competitive.

What would persuade you to ‘go green’? Let us know.